Longing
by Celeblass
Summary: Elrond and Celebrian have a little talk.


Title: Longing

Author: Celeblass

Summary: Elrond and Celebrian have a little talk.

Disclaimers: I don't own anything, it all belongs to Tolkien. I just fell in love with his characters and wanted to share them with others.

A/N: I don't write anything like this very often, especially with Elrond and Celebrian, so I hope you like it.

_Longing_

She woke up with a start, wondering what had brought her sudden arrival to the waking world. The air was cold but the stars shining in the window were bright and soothing and she welcomed their presence. With a little snuffle, she quietly shifted over and reached for her husband, only to find he was no longer by her side. She blinked a few times, her blue eyes widening as this realization dawned on her.

Celebrian sat up in bed and quickly scanned the room for her missing partner. It was empty. The only thing that moved was the rustle of the curtains leading to the balcony in a gently breeze. She smiled sadly to herself, knowing full well where Elrond was.

She slid out of bed, her blonde hair tumbling down her back as she pushed it off her face. On silent feet she wandered outside but hesitated when she pushed aside the thin fabric that veiled the doorway. Elrond was standing with his hands lightly resting on the rail, his night clothes seeming almost ethereal by the way they fluttered in the wind. His eyes were locked off in the distance but by the slight stoop in his stance, she could tell what he was thinking of.

Earendil. His father.

"Do not think he is not watching you, meltha nin," she said, placing her hand on his arm to draw his attention. "And do not even begin to think that he does not love you."

The forlorn look he gave her was something she was certain only she had ever seen and would ever see. To the eyes of the world, Elrond was an elven lord, strong and dependable, never cracking even in the worst situations. To the eyes of the world he was a seasoned warrior and a skilled healer. To the eyes of the world he was a proud father and a loving husband. But to her eyes he was all this and more. He was a lonely child who missed his parents and brother. He was a kind elf who would sacrifice himself if he thought it would help. He was as stubborn as a dragon when guarding treasure. He was just someone who needed support every now and then and had so few people he could turn to for it.

He stared at her for a moment longer before drawing her into his arms and resting his cheek on her hair. She responded by moving into his embrace and letting him feel her presence. She could feel the emotional turmoil inside him by the stiffness of his body, by the beating of his heart and by the way he held her. "Where others see hope, I see longing," he whispered with a sigh. "Would things have only turned out differently."

"And what would that have accomplished? We make our own fate and they chose theirs." She paused, turning her head so she could see the stars particularly the star in question. "You will see them again."

He let out a snort, half in mirth and half in disbelief. "Who can say by what manner I shall leave these shores? Perhaps faith such as yours is misplaced. I have seen the evil the future holds and I can not say that any of us will leave by our own devising."

Celebrian drew back and narrowed her eyes. She pulled herself up to her full height and forcefully jabbed him in the chest. "No, we don't know, but must you be so grim? There is much good yet to come to this world and you can't deny me that you've seen it!" She spun around angrily and gripped the rail, refusing to look at her husband. She could still feel him behind her, but he could also feel his hesitance. Not that she felt guilty for making him so unsure of himself. Though she did not have the true gift of foresight like he or her mother might have, she did not doubt her words.

They stood like that so long that she involuntarily shivered as the wind touched its icy fingers to her skin. Her night dress was not made for the outdoors on such a cool of night. Without the hesitation he had before, Elrond quickly enveloped his wife in his arms and was delighted as always when she leaned back for added comfort. They maintained a steady silence until finally he spoke.

"I know you are right, but it is not just for me that I wish I could see them once more." He drew in a deep breath. "Elladan and Elrohir deserve to know what their grandparents are like and I do not wish for them to only know tales of Ages past." Elrond smiled to himself as Celebrian delicately shifted his hand so that it rested on her curved stomach. "And this little one deserves a whole and loving family as much as her brothers do."

"And that she, and they, will get, whether or not they meet your parents in this Age. I seem to recall that mine will be visiting not long after their new grandchild is born."

They both grinned despite the previous seriousness of the conversation. By then the twins would probably be so impatient that they would insist on riding out to meet Galadriel and Celeborn themselves.

"One problem at a time, love," he said, steering her back inside. "For now we both need our rest while we can get it."

The End.


End file.
